The Runes Fade (but you never will)
by pixnyaha
Summary: Percy and Jason have been parabatai since they were fourteen. But when Percy dies, how does Jason cope with losing his parabatai- his best friend? Percy Jackson and Mortal Instruments Crossover. Rated T for language.


**I feel bad for only writing crossovers. Oh well.**

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Jason stared at himself in the mirror.

But not in a conceited way. Jason had never been conceited about his looks. When you're a Shadowhunter what matters most is being able to make it through the years- not what you see in the mirror.

No, Jason was staring at the faded parabatai runes on the base of his neck. The runes binding him to his best friend, Percy Jackson, who had just died in battle.

It had been a good death, Jason supposed. Percy had died to try to protect his girlfriend, Annabeth Chase, from a demon that had crept up on her from behind. Annabeth would have died if he didn't save her.

He hadn't been able to believe it at first- after all the first stage of grieving is denial. He had been in denial unwilling to accept it.

But they had always seemed so unstoppable. Percy would do the fighting and Annabeth would come up with a plan to kick all the demon's asses. They had never been beaten. Percy and Annabeth were the best fighters he had ever seen. Percy was the best swordsman and Annabeth would have her opponent trembling in their shoes with one glare.

So, it was perfectly reasonable for Jason to think of Percy and Annabeth as a perfect team. If Percy and Annabeth hadn't been so deeply in love with each other, they would have probably become parabatai.

Annabeth had been a wreck when he died. Jason had never seen her this down. Annabeth was one of the strongest people he knew.

And of course he knew it was because of Percy, but he had honestly never had that kind of feeling for anyone. He didn't know what it was to lose someone you loved that much.

Jason's mom had even told him once that if he was gay, she was perfectly fine with it. She wanted him to have someone.

Jason had never been more embarrassed in his life and blushed a deeper red that he had ever blushed in his life. Percy had

teased him about it for days.

Jason left the bathroom, unable to stare at the runes for a second longer.

The first person he saw after leaving was Piper. She was a good friend of his, but she was a werewolf. He might have been

interested in her for a short while, but when she started dating another friend, Leo, those feelings immediately died.

She smiled at him, though it seemed rather forced. They were all grieving for Percy.

"Ready for the funeral?" she asked him.

She seemed to take his silence as a reasonable response.

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Annabeth wouldn't open the door.

She had been holding it in throughout the funeral. She looked like she wanted to slap all the people who were speaking about him. They spoke of his unwavering, unswerving loyalty to the Clave and his prowess in battle. Jason understood why she felt that way. None of that defined Percy. He doubted Percy had even known what the word prowess meant.

The only person who had been worth listening to had been Percy's mother. Annabeth hadn't spoken. Jason hadn't either. He knew why she didn't want to speak. Neither of them would have been able to make it through the speech, and well, both of them valued their pride too much to let the Clave see them cry.

But he thought, she would let him in her room at least. He was the person who came closest to understanding how she felt.

"Annabeth, open the door!"

"Go away, Jason."

"But I understand!" he said. "I know how you feel. I was his parabatai!"

The door opened a bit. She glared at him and all of his instincts told him to leave but he stood his ground because it was Annabeth and even she needed a shoulder to cry occasionally.

She raised her gaze and asked him challengingly, "Oh, yeah? How do I feel?"

Jason took a deep breath, "Let me in first, will you?"

She reluctantly let him in. He plopped onto her bed, as he had done so many times before. Annabeth and Percy had been two constants through his life. He didn't even remember first meeting them, he had been so young. It had just been a fact he had known forever- Percy, Annabeth, Piper and Leo are his best friends.

But now Percy was gone.

"So?"

"You feel sad, obviously," he said. "And you're guilty. He died protecting you. He died to save you. And you're probably thinking if you were just a bit faster, a bit smarter or just better, he would be here. He would be sitting here with us. He would tell us some

stupid joke about octopuses and you would laugh and kiss him and I'd tell you to get a room. Like we've done a thousand times before."

Annabeth was silent. He didn't go on. he wanted to hear her talk.

"It's more than that." she said." It's more than guilt. It's heartbreak. You wouldn't really understand that, would you? You don't get that this feeling makes me want to kill myself so that I can be with him. Cause, I don't know how to live in this world without Percy. I've never lived in a world without him."

Jason mulled this over. He could understand in a way. After all the bond parabatai's share is almost as strong as the one lovers do. He knew what she meant- not knowing how to go on.

"We just have to push through Annabeth." he said.

She hugged him and he let her. He knew she was crying so he let himself cry too.

Besides, he just lost his parabatai. Fuck pride.

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"Hey," Reyna asked him. "Are you okay?"

Jason blinked up at her. It was morning. Reyna was sitting at a table in the Institute with him She looked beautiful. And he had always known that. Reyna with her long, dark hair and regal features was the most beautiful girl he had ever met.

Jason liked Reyna. But he was not serious about her. Reyna was too intimidating and in control. She was too responsible to let relationships distract her.

"No," he said. "But I will be."

Reyna sighed, "I don't think Annabeth will be okay. It can't be easy, losing someone that close. And Annabeth and Percy were more in love than any two people I've ever seen."

"I was jealous sometimes. Not of Percy, for being with Annabeth, but because I want to know what it's like have feelings like that. Percy made falling in love look so easy, but I never saw it as easy."

Reyna was quiet," It was easy for them. They only ever saw each other. No one else ever made a difference. But for me? It's so hard."

Jason was surprised, "You want a relationship?"

Reyna stared at him," Um... yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

He blushed," You were always so... focused. You never wavered from your job. Never let anything distract you. I thought you'd never let a relationship distract you either."

Reyna looked thoughtful,"My job is important," she told him."It lets me survive. But love is what will make surviving better. Actually, I won't even be surviving. I'll be living. Don't you agree?"

He looked at her. She was blushing a little, which confused him. She looked cute when she blushed. Less mature, more like the teenager she was supposed to be. Jason felt his heart speed up.

"Yeah," he said. "I get it."

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Jason weaved through the crowds. He was visiting his sister, Thalia. She had recently been promoted to head of the Institute. A job Percy would have gotten if he hadn't died.

Annabeth was still not over it. It had been months since Percy's death but she couldn't move on. Many of her superiors had told her to find someone else. Jason never asked her to look for someone else. He couldn't imagine Annabeth Chase with someone who wasn't Percy Jackson.

He visited her every day. Made sure she was alright and that she hadn't committed suicide. Jason wished more than anything thatAnnabeth had something worth living for. She had left her family, they didn't care about her. She had only Percy. And then he had died and though it wasn't his fault, he had left her too, in a way.

Sometimes, Jason wished it had been Annabeth that would have died because Percy had other people worth living for. He had his mom and his step-dad. It would have been just as hard for him, but he would have made it. Jason wasn't so sure Annabeth would make it.

"S'up, Sparky?" Thalia said.

He smiled, "Hey, Thalia."

She grinned and hugged him. "You got the news, I guess. Big promotion. More than I deserved."

"Don't say that." he said." You deserve it."

She gave him a look, "Not like Percy did. This was his promotion. You know that. He deserved it."

"You'll do great, though," he told her. "It doesn't matter that it was Percy's."

"Yes, it does," Thalia said sadly. "He didn't deserve to die. He deserved to live and get this promotion and get married to Annabeth and have a thousand kids."

Jason wrinkled his nose,"A thousand? A bit much, don't you think?"

"Whatever," she said. "It suits them. And now they'll never have it."

"I'm worried," he admitted. "I don't think Annabeth has that much to live for without Percy. She'll push through, but she'll never move on."

Thalia sighed."And you? He was your parabatai."

Jason thought about how he felt. Mostly he felt anger, anger because Percy didn't deserve to die. And Annabeth didn't deserve that kind of heartbreak.

So he lied.

"Me? I'm okay."

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Jason had never been so nervous.

He was getting married to Reyna. They had started dating about a year after Percy died, and Jason finally understood the feeling of falling in love. Everything had been perfect.

Annabeth would have been so happy for them. But, only a couple month's before Jason and Reyna had gotten engaged, she had died in a demon attack. Jason had died a little on the inside, losing another great friend, but he was comforted by the thought that, at least she was with Percy.

Thalia was there. So was his mother and surprisingly, even his dad showed up. Piper and Leo were there, along with Hazel and Frank. Piper and Leo had recently gotten married and Piper was expecting a little werewolf mini-Leo.

Hazel had been so excited when she heard the news and Frank had looked a bit terrified. Jason could understand. The thought of a mini-Leo scared him too. One Leo was enough. Piper, though, was probably the only person who could have handled it.

Then Reyna came towards him, looking radiant in her gold gown. Jason's jaw was probably somewhere on the floor. She was so beautiful.

After the ceremony, Reyna even cried a bit. Jason took care of her tears, though.

Thalia spoke to him later, saying how Percy and Annabeth would have been there and it would have been even better. Percy would be taking care of their four kids while Annabeth would have made sure the wedding was perfect. Jason couldn't help but agree.

It still hurt sometimes. Seeing the faded runes in the mirror. A painful reminder that will forever rest on his skin. But that day Jason decided something.

 _The runes might have faded,_ he thought, _but you never will. I will keep you here, in my heart._

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 **Let me know one thing. Or two, whatever.**

 **Jeyna or Jasper (I ship Jeyna and Liper personally)**

 **Thaluke or Thalico (I don't really ship either)**

 **-Always One Reads**


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